You know the issue with Food Poisoning? Â Not knowing for sure.
I loved eating at this place. Â I had this Venezuela stew, my wife got tamales and the kids were all happy. We swore we would return.
That was Saturday, Lunch.
For dinner - salad, olives, cheese (it was a big lunch). Â
I was sick by breakfast the next day. Â My wife was sick by that evening. I ate 90% of my dish, she ate 10%. Â
My wife and I were the only ones to get sick, and it was 100% gastro.
So I'm not coming on yelp saying 100% for sure that this place made me sick. I don't know for sure. . .but I have enough evidence that I will avoid. Â I know it wasn't the whole foods cheese and salad.. .we ate that again.
First time at a Salvadorian restaurant. It was recommended by my boss, and a bunch of coworkers and I went after work. We got papusas, and they were good! Seating was a bit cramped (it would have been impossible for someone to sit in the seat directly behind me facing the next table), but it was okay because it was only about 4:30 when we got there. Had to look up the words on the menu on my phone. One of my coworkers also got tamale, which he enjoyed. On the food alone, I'd probably give this place a solid 4 stars. But it gets the 5th from the price. Really, really can't beat that value. I'm sure we'll return at some point.
Review Source:When eating at El Chalate for the first time I suggest the combo place. It comes with a pupusa, fried yucca, and chiccarones (crispy fried pork bites.) You get a taste for lots of things, but really you get to eat the pupusas, which are the star of El Chalate's show, and fried yucca, which is a delicious carb.
Best of all, you can get it for about $6 which makes this one hot deal.
East Colfax Taco Tour UYE! Â Sunday October 30th 2011.
2nd STOP: El Chalate
Bigger establishment. Â UNFORTUNATELY, they dont offer much of Taco. Â I had no choice but to order something, and it was the Beef Tacos (3 pieces) ($3.80) from the A LA CARTE Section from the Menu since I DONT EAT ANY FORM OF PORK. Â At first I ask the server if I can only have one Beef Taco, she told me, yes I can. Â It went down the hill MAJOR MAJOR disappointment. Â The tacos I received was FRIED TACOs and the server told me I cant order just one, and have to have all 3.... Â Dont fancy it that much.
They offer chips and salsa to all the tables. Â Like the "bottled" sauces they offer. Â SPICY HOT, I like. Â Oh well... but the other Yelpers like or love what they order such items like Tamales, Yucca what nots.
In addition to this, I order the Empanada De Platano ($1.25) to go. Â Dont fancy this dish either.
I went here last night after reading about it all damn day at work and salivating on the keyboard.
I went for the pupusas, and got one of each, but the highlight of my meal was the fried yucca. Â Not the one with little dried fish. Â The yucca itself was like a slightly sweet giant french fry. Â The sauce it was swimming in was perfect. Â Some of the pork chunks were slightly hard and dry. Â I've never had this dish before, so I don't know if that's how they were supposed to be or not. Â Either way, it was incredibly tasty and satisfying.
My pupusas were good. Â I didn't get around to the cheese con locoro one until it was getting cold, which (hopefully) did not do it justice. Â I took the rest of it home to reheat and finish today.
The refried beans were the biggest disappointment. Â They tasted burned. Â They also tasted BBQ-ed, which is different but okay, and were pretty salty.
We weren't charged for any of our drinks, but they run from $1-$1.50. Â I was warned about the horchata but got it anyway. Â It was too sweet and thin and brown to be ideal, but I chugged it anyway.
Service was minimal but polite. Â She split our orders on the bill so we didn't have to hunt to find what each of us ordered. Â Take your check up to the register when you're ready to pay.
I got out of there for around $9 plus tip, and I had a LOT of food. Â I took it home and still have enough for two more meals. Â I'm definitely a fan.
I may be working just down the street from it soon. Â I could be in trouble.
2nd stop on the tour.
While there were not a lot of Tacos to find on the menu it gave me the chance to try some new and wonderful treats.
Fried Yucca - These are very similar to french fries - crisp on the outside and soft and creamy on the outside. Â YUM.
Chiccarones - nice little nibbles, very meaty and favorful - a little gem on the plate, probably my favorite thing we ordered.
Chicken Tamale - these were okay - not my favorite. Â I like mine with pork and more spicy red sauce and these didn't have either so it was a little bit of a let down.
Pupusas - these were nice. Â First time trying these and found them to be lovely and really like the curtido that was served with them.
Al Pastor Taco - very nice and it was a little on the crunchy side.
Stop #2 on the October 2011 East Colfax Taco Tour UYE!
This is a true Mexican/Salvadoran restaurant, and not a typical taco place. Â In fact, the tacos here were pretty basic. Â However, the other food on the menu was quite good. Â The table salsa and chips are above complaint. Â The horchata is just okay, I believe it is made to order rather than fountain style. Â The fried yucca with pork was outstanding. Â The yucca was densely flavorful, and well cooked. Â The pork was the kind of chiccaron I enjoy . . . heavy on the meat, light on the fat, and very crunchy. Â The tomato dipping sauce had subtle, yet enticing flavors. Â The pupusa was a hockey puck of salty goodness, but maybe a little too filling. Â The curtido (a Salvadorean condiment resembling coleslaw customarily paired with pupusas) was a huge side. Â The basic and humble nature of cabbage, carrots, salt, sugar, vinegar and oregano went well together. Â The chicken tamale was (I think) the weakest offering. Â It was bland, a little soggy, and mostly masa with a little chicken and (oddly) potato thrown in. Â What is AMAZING is you can get all three of these items on the #16 platter for $5 or so.
We also had an al pastor taco on the side. Â It had more crunchy bits than I like for this type of taco, but the flavor was solid.
My coworkers and I went to El Chalate for lunch today. Â Service was pretty lousy, but they were slammed. Â Our food took over 30 minutes to get to the table after it taking about 20 minutes for the waitress to collect our order.
However, they still get four stars.
The food was delicious. Â I can't imagine how much I would've enjoyed it had I not been in a party of six. Â Or had it come hot from the oven.
The combination pupusas (a tasty stuffed El Salvadorian corn cake) and tamales were fantastic. Â South-of-the-border Coke and Jarritos served in a cold bottle washed things down.
I recommend going, but be patient. Â And maybe go with a smaller group.
And try not to take the head-turn, record-scratch look you get when you walk in personally. Â Maybe it was my purple shirt?
El Chalate...let me sing your praises. How else are you gonna get dinner for 3 for less than 20 bucks, including chips and salsa, an appetizer, sodas, and a main course, as well as a full tip? I am not sure you can do this many other places, and certainly not with all the charm and pizzazz that this place offers, in the middle of one of the sketchier parts of East Colfax. Go for the pupusas...stay to chuckle under your breath at the nearby businesses. Gold n Grillz, my friends. Nuf' said.
I love most things Meso-American. But especially pupusas. This is the real deal. If you know much about the "con loroco" ingredients, you're going to seriously wonder how a restaurant in Denver gets a decent supply of them. I suppose specialty food companies deliver everything now, but it still seems too good to be true.
El Chalate's pupusas are fantastic, and in comparison with the local competition, "Tacos Y Pupusas", they do everything 90% better. First, you can sit, and get table service. That's an obvious bonus. Second, the menu has a far wider selection of items, even some gringo food, and the prices are way better; compare pupusas at $1.35 at El Chalate, with seriously fabulous and attentive table service, to not sitting and crowding yourself into a tiny booth for $2 pupusas that aren't nearly as good, at Tacos Y Pupusas. The choice should be clear.
So I've been to this restaurant twice since June; the first time was a harrowing experience that had nothing at all to do with the amazing service they offer at the restaurant, and everything to do with my kid attempting to run into rush hour traffic on Colfax. After that, both my husband and I shuddered every time we drove by it, because the near-death pass memory was so truly traumatic. They were more than kind to us during that whole ordeal, and we got out of there having had a satisfying dinner for under 10 bucks, served in under 30 minutes. All trauma aside, this was a great trip to great little restaurant.
The second time, after having recovered from the first traumatic traffic incident, was magical. We ordered the nachos to truly test the meddle of the place, and they seriously did not disappoint; heaped with beef, beans, cheese and guacamole, they hit the spot for under 5 bucks. This was the first time ever that I have ordered nachos and gotten more toppings than chips. BONUS!
Our pupusas, as usual, were hot and savory, filling and delicious, and whatever that San Salvadorean cabbage stuff is, it's for the win.
In the end, we got chips and salsa, a big plate of nachos, 5 pupusas, and 3 Jarritos sodas for 16 dollars and some cents. Can you beat that, considering both price and quality? If you can, tell me how, because I want to - I really do.
My cheese pupusas and vegetarian combo were delicious and cheap! The guacamole was creamy and fresh. The lady that served us was sincerely helpful and translated things on the menu for me. The atmosphere made me feel like I was happily traveling abroad. Sooo... Hellllllloooooooooooooooooooo new favorite place to eat.
Our lady also gave me a tip that on weekends they make a couple special desserts... Central American versions of banana bread and CHEESECAKE (in quesadilla form)!
oh El Chalate....Yum...Yum....and what makes it even better is the prices are outrageously cheap!!! Â Pupusas are like $1.50...tamales same price and soooo good! Â and they load up on the serving of meat in their dishes which is so awesome for the low prices....neighborhood not so appealing (off of Colfax) but what a GEM!!! love this place!
Review Source:Well, definitely not in the greatest of neighborhoods as exemplified by the aggressive homeless guy that I gave a buck to before entering the restaurant... Â
I found street parking next to the restaurant easy enough. Â There was only one other person eating in the restaurant. Â Later, a couple other groups stopped by to pick up take-out orders as I dined. Â The restaurant was clean, bright and cheerful. Â The kid who served as my waiter was friendly and provided useful recommendations on what to order. Â
I ordered two papusas - one chicharron and one queso con loroco. Â They were both very good but I preferred the pork. Â At $1.35 each the pupusas are definitely an awesome deal plus it came with chips and salsa. Â Though I wasn't very hungry, I also ordered the yuca frita (Chalateca style with chimbolitas) for $3.75. Â What I didn't realize until after the fried yuca arrived is that chimbolitas was some kind of little dried fish. Â Fortunately, I was able to push the fish aside and still enjoy the yuca. Â Next time I visit here I would order the yuca frita with chicharron.
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For $7 including tax this was a really good and inexpensive dinner. Â Even including the $2 tip and the buck that I gave away, the visit to El Chalate was only $10 and well worth it.
OH MAN...first place I've found in Denver that makes pupusas and boy howdy were they delicious! Â $1.25 and super-filling, they were oozing with cheese and not even approaching dry. Â I also got a burrito and definitely had to cowboy up and finish it. Â If this place weren't way the fuck out E. Colfax I would eat here everyday.
Review Source:I wasn't even sure what a pupusa was, I only knew it was a $1.35 and I had a buck fifty.
Delicious corn tortilla stuffed with beans, cheese, chicharron, or a combination.
These things are ridiculously filling. After one as a midday snack I was totally satisfied.
I returned a little time later to find $1 tamals, I got the pollo. It was super moist being prepared in a banana leaf that kept it from drying out.
When you dine in they give you a basket of chips and salsa.
Come here for one cheap, delicious, and belly busting meal. You will not be disappointed.
As this place is about a 5 minute walk from my house, I will return often till my path takes me from East Coldfacts back to the incomparable Pacific Northwest.
Just had lunch here, and was just amazed at the value and service we received at this place. We sat at a booth and within a minute or so, a basket of chips and salsa was delivered. The menu looked like it had a broad selection of combinations and a la carte options, both standard Mexican favorites as well as Salvadoran. However, I came to try the pupusas, so I ordered a questo con loroco, and a bean pupusa. My friend ordered the chicken taco salad with a chicken tamale on the side. Oh and they have Mexican Coca Cola which has real sugar in it as opposed to high-fructose corn syrup. The food was soooo filling and really good. The best part was the bill: $11 for the both of us! I can't wait to go back and try the empanadas de platano!
Review Source:If there's one thing I miss about eating in Los Angeles (okay so there's a lot of things), it's pupusas. Â Pupuserias were all over in L.A, but here in Denver, you have to do some real hunting. Â If you have no idea what a pupusa is, it's a Salvadoran treat that is basically a really thick corn tortilla made with cheese, beans, pork, or other ingredients. Â It's topped with shredded cabbage and carrots and a thin salsa. Â Oh, and it's delicious. Â
After some research my wife found out about El Chalate, and we made the trek out to east Colfax to give it a try. Â What kind of neighborhood is it in? Â The business next door apparently specialized in gold teeth and car stereos. Â That's not a joke (you'll see if you visit). Â There was also a store called "Compton Mart", for any L.A. transplants missing the hometown goodness of Compton.
But you aren't visiting for the neighborhood ambience, you're coming out here for the rare pupusa treat, and El Chalate delivers. Â The cheese pupusa was an ooey-gooey thick pancake filled with cheese, probably the cheesiest pupusa I've ever had. Â I ordered two but was full after one so I packed the other one up for later.
They also had some of my favorite sides, like fried plantains and yucca. Â If you're never had either of these, fried plantains are essentially less-sweet bananas, fried up until the outside is caramelized. Â Fried yucca strips are like a starchier version of potato fries. Â I prefer them with a garlic sauce but they're fine on their own.
Everyone seemed to really enjoy their lunch, from plain bean pupusas to the pork-tastic chicharrones version. Â And the best part? Â Lunch for four with a few sodas was $22. Â I'll be back, and who knows, maybe I'll get a gold grill while I'm in the neighborhood.
I don't know if people in Denver don't yelp, or if they just don't know good food. At any rate-this restaurant is one that's found rarely. Delicious food, humble accommodations, and a price that makes you think "ya know, I'd pay 30% more for that-easy!"
I ordered  2 papusas (yep, they're less than a buck and two quarters) and a combo plate (tamale, chicharron burrito, rice, beans) and my total, with tax, came out to barely over $10. Now, after gorging myself, I still have a gargantuan meal of goodness for tomorrow.
Ummm, this place is my new favorite in Denver-it mixes top notch food quality with the feeling you've just walked into someone's kitchen at home with value-it truly does not get better than this!
Stop #1 on the pupusa tour did not disappoint. Â I ordered a pupusa de queso y loroco, which is one of my favorite foods in the universe. The pupusa was good, with the mild taste of loroco permeating the gooey cheese. The curtido was fine but not my favorite. Â The cabbage was coarsely chopped; I prefer mine cut more finely/thinly. Â There were large jalapenos in the curtido, something I have only encountered once before. Â I don't know what is truly authentic to El Salvador (though the curtido made for me by Salvadoreans didn't have much heat), but it's not what I've come to expect and was not really to my taste in this instance.
I also ordered my second-favorite thing to get at a Salvadorean place: yuca frita con chicharron. Â This dish seems to vary greatly from place to place. Â Here, they use a lot of thick red sauce on the yuca, small bits of meaty chicharron and a heaping side of curtido. Â It was, again, quite different from my experience but I really enjoyed it.
Best of all, the food was dirt cheap. Â Two pupusas are enough for me for a hearty meal. Â Here they were just $1.35 each. Â With a deal like that, how can you go wrong?
Quite a find on East Colfax. Â Generous portions of good Mexican and El Salvadorean food for low prices. Â I speak basically no Spanish and had no problem at all, though I had to have a few things on the menu translated. Â One star off for not having something available because nobody orders it. Â If you can't serve it, then leave it off the menu. Â I bet they make good chile rellenos too... oh well. Â I went with the vegetarian combo and a queso papusa, both quite good. Â The meal also came with a basket of chips and salsa. Â Quite good and all for less than $7. Â Will definitely be back to try the fried platanos with a glass of horchata.
Quite a find in a rather dead and sometimes shady area of Colfax among a number of auto body shops and such.
Had breakfast there this weekend with my son. Â Huevos y fritas. Â Perfectly cooked eggs, a healthy (portion, not nutritionally) pile of perfectly fried plantains, beans, sour cream, queso fresco and thick tortillas, all for $6.75. Â All that said, I think that either my little eating buddy was not in the mood for that, or I have finally found something that he is not fond of and that totally surprised me. Â Fried platanos did not turn him on, so I had to eat a few of his too. Â Also ordered a papusa for him to try and he did not like that either. Â This is no indictment on El Chalate, but maybe he was having an off-taste day. Â
That all said, Sunday morning at El Chalate saw many El Salvadoran diners having some of the most delicious breakfast dishes. Â Fish, potatoes, soups and eggs flowed freely. Â My son and I had a nice time talking about El Salvador and the culture of Central America. Â The cutest little girls (one was 8) waited on us and it gave me the chance to practice my poor Spanish, though their English was PERFECTO. Â It also made my son want to work in a restaurant. Â Good start.
Sometimes I forget that there is a lot going on along Colfax, east of Quebec. Â Today, I stopped by El Chalate for some delightful El Salvadorean cuisine. Â We started our lunch off by sharing a papusa, which could have been a meal in itself. Â The papusas here are fabulous, hot, thick and savory, served with a tomato sauce and cabbage salad. Â My entree was an order of their carne guisada, essentially a beef stew with potatoes, carrots, and yucca served with beans and rice. Â The meal came with a couple of thick, homemade tortillas. Â After washing my meal down with an order of horchata, I was ready to waddle home and take a siesta.
Review Source:
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